Sealing strip



A ril 5, 1938; J. F. JOHNSTON 2,113,152

v SEALING STRIP Filed Feb. 2'7, 1936 Jrm/Efif'aa John .T'z-Jahnsi'bn Patented Apr. 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEALING STRIP Application February 27, 1936, Serial No. 65,990

6 Claims.

1 This invention relates to sealing strips such as are used between an aperture and a cover therefor, and is especially useful in the sealing of refrigerator doors and the like.

5 The principal objects of the invention are to provide efficient sealing with a minimum of force and to provide a high degree of cushioning with resistance to deterioration.

Other objects will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

Of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form of the device.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the margin of a door with the strip in place, the strip being shown uncompressed and in crosssection.

Fig. 3 is a similar view including a portion of the door jamb and showing the strip compressed as when the door is closed.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a further modification of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l designates a hollow tubular body of dense elastic rubber formed with a fiat base II and awall l2 extending therefrom, and therewith defining a chamber l3. A reentrant groove I4 is formed between the base and the wall defining the chamber, so as to permit a structural part of the door to engage the strip.

In order to provide a high degree of compressibility, a deep strip of sponge rubber I is cemented or vulcanized to the base of the strip and is adapted to be received in a groove it formed in the door I]. When the wall l2 ofthe rubber strip is deformed by contact with the-jamb l8, the base It thereof is also depressed, locally depressing the sponge rubber strip.

Where the cylindrical wall I2 rests at one margin directly against a rigid portion of the door, as in the preferred form shown in Figs. 1 to 3, and the other margin is supported by the sponge rubber, the greater distortion of the margin supported by the sponge rubber causes a slight sliding of the cylindrical wall l2 against the jamb I 8 at the time of engagement which insures clean contact of the strip with the jamb.

50 In the preferred form of the device one of the metal sheathing plates IQ of the door projects over the groove l6 of the door and enters the groove H of the strip and a second sheathing plate 20 projects over the base I l of the strip.

The form shown in Fig. 4 is the same as that shown in Figs. 1 to 3 except that the sponge runber strip is tapered to assist in placing the strip in the groove.

In the form of. the invention shown in Fig. 5 the dense rubber portion of the strip comprises a 5 fiat base 2| formed at both margins withreentrant grooves 22, 23, to receive metal sheathing plates, a cylindrical wall 24 extending therefrom and therewith defining a chamber 25. A strip of sponge rubber 26 is cemented or vulcanized to the 10 base of the dense rubber strip to provide additionalcushioning. In use the cushioning strip 26 is retained in a groove formed in the dooras in the preferred form of the device.

In all forms of the device, the sponge rubber cushion, which requires very little force to deform it, is protected from contact with oils and greases and from light and air by the dense rubber thereover. 1

I claim:

1. A sealing strip comprising a body of sponge rubber adapted to occupy a cavity in a closure member, and a hollow strip of dense elastic rubber covering the face of the sponge rubber body and adapted to engage an opposing closure member, one margin of the hollow strip being formed with a reentrant groove for supporting it from said first named closure member and the other margin being supporteddirectly by said body.

2. A sealing strip comprising a body of sponge rubber adapted to occupy a cavity in a closure member, a facing of dense elastic rubber on one face thereof, and a semi-cylindrical wall of dense elastic rubber integral with said facing and supported at one of its margins by said facing and at the other margin by said closure member.

3. A sealingstrip comprising a body of sponge rubber adapted to occupy a cavity in a closure member, a facing of dense elastic rubber on one face thereof and a semi-cylindrical wall of dense elastic rubber integral with said facing at the side opposite the sponge rubber body, one margin of said wall being, supported directly by said facing, the other margin being attached to said facing and formed with a reentrant groove whereby said margin may be supported by the closure member.

4. A sealing strip comprising a body of sponge rubber, a hollow sealing element of elastic dense rubber having a-wall, portion disposed at a face of the sponge rubber approximately normal to the. face, whereby when the hollow element is pressed toward said body said wall portion causes local depression of and cushioning by the sponge arched sealing member of rubber attached thereto and extending beyond said cavity to engage the mating closure member, said arched sealing member having one legsupported directly by the closure member and the other supported directly 5 by said body.- 7

' JOHN F. J OHNBTON; 

